Cleveland – Kansas City’s Michael Massey singled leading off the eighth to break up a no-hit bid by Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi, who was bidding Monday night to throw the majors’ first no-hitter this season and Cleveland’s first since 1981.
Making his career-high 20th start and first against Kansas City, Cecconi flirted with history until the eighth when Massey lined a 2-1 fastball into left-center on the right-hander’s 95th pitch. Cleveland won 10-2.
Cecconi was the latest pitcher to threaten to end Cleveland’s no-hitter drought – the longest current one in MLB – dating to Len Barker’s perfect game 44 years ago. The right-hander received a nice ovation after Massey’s hit and then got Carter Jensen to bounce into a double play.
On Aug. 6, Gavin Williams took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning for the Guardians against the New York Mets before it was broken up by Juan Soto’s one-out homer.
Cecconi has struck out three and walked three, throwing 58 of 100 pitches for strikes. He threw a career-high 107 pitches against the Athletics on July 18. Cecconi’s only professional complete game was a six-inning losing effort for Triple-A Reno during a doubleheader on May 10, 2023.
Cleveland and Kansas City are both in the thick of the tight wild-card race entering the season’s final weeks.
The 26-year-old Cecconi was acquired in an offseason trade from Arizona. He received stellar defensive help from second baseman Brayan Rocchio and center fielder Daniel Schneemann.
Rocchio made a diving stop behind second base in second inning to snag a hard shot through the middle by Salvador Perez before throwing out the slow-moving catcher. An inning later, Schneemann raced into the gap and caught Maikel Garcia’s drive on the warning track.
In the fifth, Rocchio made a sliding stop on Kyle Isbel’s ground in the outfield grass and flipped to second for an inning-ending forceout.
Boston’s Chapman still dominating at 37
Phoenix – Aroldis Chapman has a reputation as a power pitcher, built through 16 years of routinely popping 100 mph on the radar gun.
As the Boston Red Sox closer has gotten older, the 37-year-old added craftiness to the power, baffling hitters by locating sliders and splitters that leave them flailing.
The combination led to a rare four-strikeout inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks and one of the most dominating runs by a reliever in baseball history.
“This is special,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, who earned his 600th career win with Sunday’s 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. “To do it at this age and where we’re at as an industry, as far as the hitters and the adjustments they make, it’s unreal.”
Chapman began his career in Cincinnati, popping eyes and gloves with a fastball that topped out at 105.8 mph during his rookie season in 2010– still the fastest pitch since pitch tracking started in 2008. He continued to throw baseballs at race-car speeds, clocking eight of the nine fastest pitches since tracking, including 105.1 mph last season.
Nicknamed the “Cuban Missile,” Chapman may be better than ever in his first season in Boston, earning his eighth All-Star appearance and a $13.3 million, one-year contract for 2026 signed last week.
Chapman has been unhittable since mid-July, as the Diamondbacks found out on Sunday.
Leading 7-4 after a late rally, Cora sent Chapman to close it out and he did it with a flourish, joining elite company by striking out four in the ninth inning for his 29th save. Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas reached first after striking out on a wild pitch, then Champan closed it out by striking out Jordan Lawler to become the second pitcher four Ks in an inning this season, with St. Louis’ Steven Matz in June.
“It’s just something that happened,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “My mentality is to go get three outs and go for a strikeout.”
Chapman has certainly been getting the outs.
Locating his off-speed pitches with the plus-100-mph fastball, Chapman has gone 17 straight appearances – spanning 14 2/3 innings – without allowing a hit, dating to July 26. It’s the third-longest streak since 1901, trailing only the 20 straight by Florida’s Randy Choate in 2011 and 18 consecutive by Tim Byrdak of the New York Mets in 2012.
Chapman has allowed one earned run in his last 37 games – a solo homer by Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto on July 23 – and retired 21 straight batters before Vargas reached on the wild pitch Sunday. He’s allowed six earned runs all season and dropped his ERA to 0.98 with Sunday’s performance.
“He’s so nasty and showing people he can still do a lot of great things,” Boston starter Brayan Bello said through an interpreter.
Chapman has proved it all season, leaving flailing hitters in his wake with precision to go with that power.
Playoff-chasing Rangers edge Brewers
Arlington, Texas – Michael Helman drove in all the Texas runs with a grand slam and a double, lefty Jacob Latz pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and the playoff-chasing Rangers beat the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers 5-0 on Monday night.
The Rangers (75-70) moved within 3 1/2 games of idle Houston, the closest they have been to the AL West lead since also trailing by 3 1/2 on May 30. Texas, with 17 games remaining, just won two of three against the Astros.
Milwaukee (89-56), which in this three-game series could become the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot, was held scoreless for the 11th time this season. Cole Winn, Jacob Webb and Chris Martin finished off the Rangers’ 14th shutout win.
Texas didn’t even have a base runner against Brewers starter Jose Quintana (11-6) until Jake Burger’s leadoff walk in the fifth. The bases were loaded after Kyle Higashioka doubled off the very top of the 8-foot wall in left and Jonah Heim drew a walk before Helman’s fourth homer of the season.
Latz (2-0) made his third consecutive start in what had been the rotation spot of 11-game winner Nathan Eovaldi before he went the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain. The left-hander struck out four and walked one while allowing only three singles.
Want to comment on this story? Become a subscriber today. Click here.